Scottish Executive

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that dentists meet any additional expenses incurred as a result of implementing new regulations on disabled access to dental practices.

Mr Tom McCabe: General dental practitioners are independent contractors to the NHSScotland and it is their responsibility as service providers to comply with all relevant legislation relating to access by disabled people.

  NHS boards are currently conducting comprehensive access audits of all health care premises, including services provided through independent contractors, and the results will be shared with the contractors concerned.

  £7.3 million has been provided over the last three financial years for improvements to general dental practices, with a further £3 million being provided in this financial year. It is for NHS boards and Primary Care Trusts in conjunction with the dental profession locally to agree how best to target this funding. However, one of the areas that they have been asked to direct funding to is improvements to practices to address the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Digital Hearing Aids

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been refused a digital hearing aid in the Borders NHS Board area owning to budget constraints in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been made available to Borders NHS Board in 2003-04 for the provision of digital hearing aids.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally.

  I also refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-511 on 10 June 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Fisheries

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that salmon smolts are not imported from any country with infectious salmon anaemia or any other disease that would threaten the industry.

Allan Wilson: EU legislation prohibits trade in live salmon from areas affected by infectious salmon anaemia and other serious fish diseases into unaffected areas. The Executive is well aware of the need to protect Scottish aquaculture from imported disease and at EU scientific and policy fora has committed to maintaining that protection.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of the investigation into the cost of the Holyrood building project, led by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie; what remuneration terms have been agreed with Lord Fraser, and what the cost will be of the Auditor General's inquiry into matters of financial probity relating to the project.

Mr Jack McConnell: We are discussing with the Presiding Officer how best to establish budgetary arrangements which both enable the investigation to be as thorough and effective as it needs to be and provide for proper financial accountability to the Parliament. In parallel, the Scottish Executive and the Parliament are discussing with Lord Fraser and the Auditor General for Scotland the plans for the conduct of the investigation, so that a budget can be set. Lord Fraser has suggested that his fee should be set according to the standard scale rates and has offered to cap the total payment. The cost of the Auditor General’s inquiry is, as with all his inquiries, a matter for the Auditor General and Audit Scotland rather than the Scottish Executive.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of drink-driving were reported to the procurator fiscal in each year since 1997, broken down by sheriff court district.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: The following tables give the number of charges of drink driving related offences that were reported to the procurator fiscal throughout Scotland in each of the financial years from 1999 to 2003, broken down by procurator fiscal office. The charges shown relate to the following sections of the Road Traffic Act 1988:

  s.4(1) driving, or attempting to drive, while under unfit through drink or drugs

  s.4(2) being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs

  s.5(1)(a) driving, or attempting to drive, while over the legal limit

  s.5(1)(b) being in charge of a vehicle while over the legal limit

  s.6(1) failing to provide a breath test while suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or to have committed a traffic offence

  s.6(2) failing to provide a breath test after being involved in an accident

  s.7(6) failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

  Information for the period before 1 April 1999 is not available. The answer given to question S1W-34889 on 31 March 2003 included data in relation to year 2001-02 – please note that the following includes additional data unavailable at the time of the answer to question S1W-34889. The data previously provided did not include data in relation to the Glasgow area, which was unavailable at the time due to upgrading of the computer system in Glasgow. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  1. FY 1999-2000

  

 

Section 
  

Total 
  



Sect: 4(1) 
  

Sect: 4(2) 
  

Sect: 5(1)(a) 
  

Sect: 5(1)(b) 
  

Sect: 6(1) 
  

Sect: 6(2) 
  

Sect: 7(6) 
  



Aberdeen 
  

52 
  

7 
  

419 
  

23 
  

46 
  

4 
  

78 
  

629 
  



Airdrie 
  

13 
  

2 
  

214 
  

21 
  

38 
  

5 
  

75 
  

368 
  



Alloa 
  

3 
  
 

51 
  

2 
  

7 
  

2 
  

14 
  

79 
  



Arbroath 
  

6 
  
 

108 
  

7 
  

10 
  
 

18 
  

149 
  



Ayr 
  

22 
  

2 
  

212 
  

16 
  

22 
  
 

31 
  

305 
  



Banff 
  

3 
  

1 
  

47 
  

1 
  

3 
  

1 
  

4 
  

60 
  



Campbeltown 
  

2 
  

1 
  

14 
  

1 
  

2 
  
 

3 
  

23 
  



Cupar 
  

13 
  
 

56 
  

2 
  

5 
  
 

12 
  

88 
  



Dingwall 
  

5 
  
 

74 
  

2 
  

9 
  
 

11 
  

101 
  



Dornoch 
  



 

29 
  
 

4 
  
 

2 
  

35 
  



Dumbarton 
  

28 
  

2 
  

189 
  

18 
  

18 
  

3 
  

40 
  

298 
  



Dumfries 
  

6 
  

2 
  

108 
  

6 
  

11 
  

1 
  

20 
  

154 
  



Dundee 
  

60 
  

5 
  

255 
  

9 
  

39 
  

5 
  

54 
  

427 
  



Dunfermline 
  

20 
  

1 
  

150 
  

6 
  

14 
  

3 
  

32 
  

226 
  



Dunoon 
  

2 
  
 

27 
  

1 
  

4 
  
 

7 
  

41 
  



Duns 
  



 

24 
  
 

1 
  
 

1 
  

26 
  



Edinburgh 
  

91 
  

6 
  

802 
  

25 
  

124 
  

4 
  

178 
  

1,230 
  



Elgin 
  

5 
  
 

132 
  

12 
  

9 
  

1 
  

10 
  

169 
  



Falkirk 
  

9 
  

2 
  

198 
  

9 
  

21 
  

2 
  

36 
  

277 
  



Forfar 
  

2 
  
 

53 
  

3 
  

1 
  
 

6 
  

65 
  



Fort William 
  



 

50 
  

1 
  

6 
  

1 
  

4 
  

62 
  



Glasgow 
  

213 
  

25 
  

1,013 
  

67 
  

151 
  

15 
  

299 
  

1,783 
  



Greenock 
  

16 
  

3 
  

86 
  

6 
  

14 
  
 

17 
  

142 
  



Haddington 
  

8 
  
 

94 
  

6 
  

12 
  

1 
  

22 
  

143 
  



Hamilton 
  

23 
  

4 
  

447 
  

35 
  

76 
  

6 
  

93 
  

684 
  



Jedburgh 
  

13 
  

4 
  

259 
  

10 
  

31 
  

4 
  

40 
  

361 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

30 
  

3 
  

274 
  

20 
  

33 
  

5 
  

46 
  

411 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

32 
  

4 
  

186 
  

10 
  

27 
  

3 
  

37 
  

299 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

1 
  
 

31 
  

2 
  

2 
  

1 
  

4 
  

41 
  



Kirkwall 
  

1 
  
 

35 
  

1 
  

2 
  

1 
  

3 
  

43 
  



Lanark 
  

6 
  
 

91 
  

5 
  

14 
  

3 
  

11 
  

130 
  



Lerwick 
  



 

41 
  

1 
  

2 
  

1 
  

3 
  

48 
  



Linlithgow 
  

32 
  

1 
  

255 
  

17 
  

32 
  

2 
  

33 
  

372 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

2 
  
 

14 
  

1 
  

2 
  
 

2 
  

21 
  



Oban 
  

9 
  
 

50 
  

1 
  

7 
  

1 
  

9 
  

77 
  



Paisley 
  

43 
  

4 
  

294 
  

16 
  

36 
  

9 
  

53 
  

455 
  



Peebles 
  



 

6 
  
 
 
 
 

6 
  



Perth 
  

14 
  
 

212 
  

13 
  

14 
  

3 
  

27 
  

283 
  



Peterhead 
  

3 
  

1 
  

68 
  

6 
  

10 
  
 

12 
  

100 
  



Portree 
  

1 
  
 

19 
  

1 
  

3 
  

1 
  

7 
  

32 
  



Rothesay 
  



 

7 
  
 

1 
  
 

2 
  

10 
  



Selkirk 
  

2 
  
 

67 
  

5 
  

10 
  
 

10 
  

94 
  



Stirling 
  

8 
  
 

133 
  

14 
  

14 
  

3 
  

16 
  

188 
  



Stonehaven 
  

5 
  
 

84 
  

6 
  

6 
  

1 
  

11 
  

113 
  



Stornoway 
  

2 
  
 

45 
  

1 
  

3 
  

1 
  

5 
  

57 
  



Stranraer 
  

2 
  
 

40 
  

5 
  

3 
  
 

5 
  

55 
  



Tain 
  

3 
  

1 
  

56 
  

3 
  

4 
  

1 
  

10 
  

78 
  



Wick 
  

1 
  
 

36 
  

1 
  

2 
  

1 
  

5 
  

46 
  



Total 
  

812 
  

81 
  

7,155 
  

418 
  

905 
  

95 
  

1,418 
  

10,884 
  



  2. FY 2000-01

  

 

Sect: 4(1) 
  

Sect: 4(2) 
  

Sect: 5(1)(a) 
  

Sect: 5(1)(b) 
  

Sect: 6(1) 
  

Sect: 6(2) 
  

Sect: 7(6) 
  

Total 
  



Aberdeen 
  

34 
  

11 
  

434 
  

32 
  

32 
  

4 
  

49 
  

596 
  



Airdrie 
  

18 
  

4 
  

271 
  

17 
  

28 
  

2 
  

66 
  

406 
  



Alloa 
  

1 
  
 

68 
  

1 
  

9 
  

2 
  

12 
  

93 
  



Arbroath 
  

3 
  

2 
  

90 
  

4 
  

6 
  
 

14 
  

119 
  



Ayr 
  

18 
  

4 
  

188 
  

16 
  

28 
  

1 
  

46 
  

301 
  



Banff 
  

7 
  

3 
  

49 
  

3 
  

7 
  

2 
  

11 
  

82 
  



Campbeltown 
  
 
 

15 
  

1 
  
 
 
 

16 
  



Cupar 
  

14 
  
 

97 
  

4 
  

8 
  
 

18 
  

141 
  



Dingwall 
  

4 
  
 

54 
  

7 
  

7 
  

4 
  

12 
  

88 
  



Dornoch 
  

3 
  
 

24 
  
 

4 
  
 

2 
  

33 
  



Dumbarton 
  

34 
  

4 
  

182 
  

22 
  

21 
  

3 
  

52 
  

318 
  



Dumfries 
  

10 
  

2 
  

110 
  

11 
  

15 
  

4 
  

26 
  

178 
  



Dundee 
  

52 
  

5 
  

219 
  

17 
  

26 
  

3 
  

43 
  

365 
  



Dunfermline 
  

28 
  

1 
  

188 
  

9 
  

14 
  

1 
  

26 
  

267 
  



Dunoon 
  

3 
  
 

39 
  

2 
  

5 
  

1 
  

8 
  

58 
  



Duns 
  
 
 

29 
  
 

1 
  
 

2 
  

32 
  



Edinburgh 
  

49 
  

5 
  

768 
  

46 
  

90 
  

4 
  

132 
  

1,094 
  



Elgin 
  

16 
  
 

136 
  

12 
  

11 
  

1 
  

11 
  

187 
  



Falkirk 
  

16 
  

1 
  

191 
  

7 
  

29 
  

2 
  

35 
  

281 
  



Forfar 
  

6 
  
 

54 
  

3 
  

4 
  
 

9 
  

76 
  



Fort William 
  

2 
  
 

46 
  

3 
  

4 
  
 

4 
  

59 
  



Glasgow 
  

214 
  

42 
  

994 
  

70 
  

170 
  

20 
  

323 
  

1,833 
  



Greenock 
  

24 
  

2 
  

88 
  

4 
  

11 
  
 

19 
  

148 
  



Haddington 
  

5 
  

1 
  

74 
  

11 
  

12 
  

1 
  

16 
  

120 
  



Hamilton 
  

16 
  

8 
  

431 
  

40 
  

66 
  

6 
  

105 
  

672 
  



Inverness 
  
 
 

1 
  
 
 
 
 

1 
  



Jedburgh 
  

11 
  
 

262 
  

21 
  

26 
  

5 
  

41 
  

366 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

25 
  

4 
  

217 
  

27 
  

28 
  

3 
  

54 
  

358 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

30 
  

3 
  

182 
  

12 
  

13 
  

3 
  

35 
  

278 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

2 
  
 

17 
  

1 
  

1 
  
 

2 
  

23 
  



Kirkwall 
  
 
 

29 
  

3 
  

3 
  

3 
  

4 
  

42 
  



Lanark 
  

5 
  

3 
  

69 
  

2 
  

16 
  

1 
  

21 
  

117 
  



Lerwick 
  

1 
  
 

50 
  

4 
  

4 
  
 

2 
  

61 
  



Linlithgow 
  

37 
  

5 
  

279 
  

12 
  

26 
  

2 
  

35 
  

396 
  



Lochmaddy 
  
 
 

22 
  

1 
  

5 
  
 

5 
  

33 
  



Oban 
  

4 
  
 

44 
  

1 
  

3 
  
 

5 
  

57 
  



Paisley 
  

39 
  

4 
  

259 
  

23 
  

34 
  

2 
  

50 
  

411 
  



Peebles 
  

1 
  
 

8 
  
 
 
 
 

9 
  



Perth 
  

20 
  
 

209 
  

11 
  

32 
  

3 
  

44 
  

318 
  



Peterhead 
  

4 
  
 

75 
  

7 
  

9 
  
 

18 
  

114 
  



Portree 
  
 

1 
  

19 
  

2 
  

6 
  
 

8 
  

36 
  



Rothesay 
  
 
 

3 
  

1 
  
 
 
 

4 
  



Selkirk 
  

3 
  
 

70 
  

7 
  

4 
  
 

11 
  

95 
  



Stirling 
  

8 
  

2 
  

174 
  

3 
  

20 
  

1 
  

28 
  

236 
  



Stonehaven 
  

9 
  

1 
  

65 
  

5 
  

6 
  
 

9 
  

95 
  



Stornoway 
  
 
 

36 
  

1 
  

3 
  

1 
  

9 
  

50 
  



Stranraer 
  

5 
  

1 
  

42 
  

7 
  

4 
  

2 
  

12 
  

73 
  



Tain 
  

8 
  
 

33 
  

1 
  

5 
  

3 
  

13 
  

63 
  



Wick 
  

3 
  
 

27 
  

2 
  
 
 

6 
  

38 
  



Total 
  

792 
  

119 
  

7,031 
  

496 
  

856 
  

90 
  

1,453 
  

10,837 
  



  3. FY 2001-02

  

 

Sect: 4(1) 
  

Sect: 4(2) 
  

Sect: 5(1)(a) 
  

Sect: 5(1)(b) 
  

Sect: 6(1) 
  

Sect: 6(2) 
  

Sect: 7(6) 
  

Total 
  



Aberdeen 
  

51 
  

3 
  

447 
  

53 
  

34 
  

5 
  

54 
  

647 
  



Airdrie 
  

16 
  

6 
  

222 
  

21 
  

26 
  

6 
  

59 
  

356 
  



Alloa 
  

3 
  
 

51 
  

3 
  

7 
  
 

7 
  

71 
  



Arbroath 
  

7 
  

2 
  

125 
  

9 
  

11 
  

3 
  

17 
  

174 
  



Ayr 
  

15 
  

5 
  

207 
  

9 
  

27 
  

4 
  

38 
  

305 
  



Banff 
  

12 
  

1 
  

43 
  

3 
  

5 
  

1 
  

6 
  

71 
  



Campbeltown 
  

1 
  

1 
  

20 
  

1 
  

2 
  
 

3 
  

28 
  



Cupar 
  

15 
  

1 
  

101 
  

8 
  

10 
  

2 
  

11 
  

148 
  



Dingwall 
  

9 
  

1 
  

71 
  

2 
  

7 
  

1 
  

8 
  

99 
  



Dornoch 
  

1 
  
 

21 
  
 

3 
  

1 
  

2 
  

28 
  



Dumbarton 
  

36 
  

6 
  

194 
  

8 
  

23 
  

4 
  

37 
  

308 
  



Dumfries 
  

12 
  
 

115 
  

9 
  

5 
  

3 
  

11 
  

155 
  



Dundee 
  

72 
  

14 
  

267 
  

14 
  

28 
  

5 
  

54 
  

454 
  



Dunfermline 
  

26 
  

2 
  

183 
  

6 
  

8 
  

4 
  

19 
  

248 
  



Dunoon 
  

2 
  
 

41 
  

5 
  

5 
  
 

8 
  

61 
  



Duns 
  

2 
  
 

35 
  

2 
  

2 
  
 

2 
  

43 
  



Edinburgh 
  

73 
  

7 
  

797 
  

38 
  

89 
  

9 
  

125 
  

1,138 
  



Elgin 
  

19 
  

1 
  

184 
  

14 
  

14 
  

2 
  

14 
  

248 
  



Falkirk 
  

34 
  

6 
  

233 
  

16 
  

38 
  

1 
  

53 
  

381 
  



Forfar 
  

10 
  

2 
  

48 
  

7 
  

6 
  
 

11 
  

84 
  



Fort William 
  

9 
  
 

67 
  

3 
  

4 
  

3 
  

9 
  

95 
  



Glasgow 
  

195 
  

20 
  

1,045 
  

85 
  

141 
  

12 
  

281 
  

1,779 
  



Greenock 
  

35 
  

4 
  

97 
  

10 
  

6 
  

3 
  

25 
  

180 
  



Haddington 
  

8 
  

3 
  

102 
  

9 
  

9 
  

1 
  

12 
  

144 
  



Hamilton 
  

48 
  

2 
  

425 
  

59 
  

61 
  

6 
  

86 
  

687 
  



Jedburgh 
  

18 
  
 

314 
  

24 
  

41 
  

2 
  

40 
  

439 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

28 
  

5 
  

251 
  

20 
  

27 
  

3 
  

56 
  

390 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

46 
  

3 
  

207 
  

18 
  

17 
  

3 
  

30 
  

324 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

3 
  

1 
  

31 
  

4 
  

4 
  
 

3 
  

46 
  



Kirkwall 
  

1 
  
 

30 
  
 

3 
  
 

4 
  

38 
  



Lanark 
  

8 
  

1 
  

75 
  

6 
  

13 
  

1 
  

16 
  

120 
  



Lerwick 
  
 
 

42 
  

2 
  
 
 

1 
  

45 
  



Linlithgow 
  

40 
  

3 
  

296 
  

19 
  

36 
  
 

59 
  

453 
  



Lochmaddy 
  
 
 

22 
  
 

1 
  
 
 

23 
  



Oban 
  

9 
  
 

44 
  

4 
  

3 
  

1 
  

7 
  

68 
  



Paisley 
  

51 
  

7 
  

313 
  

15 
  

32 
  

6 
  

56 
  

480 
  



Peebles 
  
 
 

11 
  

1 
  

1 
  
 

2 
  

15 
  



Perth 
  

31 
  

4 
  

206 
  

11 
  

18 
  

7 
  

38 
  

315 
  



Peterhead 
  

4 
  
 

80 
  

5 
  

6 
  
 

9 
  

104 
  



Portree 
  
 
 

20 
  
 
 
 

1 
  

21 
  



Rothesay 
  
 
 

6 
  

1 
  
 
 
 

7 
  



Selkirk 
  

1 
  
 

64 
  

10 
  

6 
  
 

6 
  

87 
  



Stirling 
  

19 
  

1 
  

172 
  

3 
  

13 
  

2 
  

35 
  

245 
  



Stonehaven 
  

7 
  
 

57 
  

4 
  

9 
  

2 
  

18 
  

97 
  



Stornoway 
  
 
 

55 
  

5 
  

9 
  

1 
  

7 
  

77 
  



Stranraer 
  

7 
  

1 
  

41 
  

6 
  

2 
  

3 
  

7 
  

67 
  



Tain 
  

5 
  
 

52 
  

5 
  

13 
  

3 
  

20 
  

98 
  



Wick 
  

6 
  
 

48 
  

4 
  

5 
  

2 
  

8 
  

73 
  



Total 
  

995 
  

113 
  

7,578 
  

561 
  

830 
  

112 
  

1,375 
  

11,564* 
  



  Note:

  *This data differs from that provided in answer to S1W-34889.

  4. FY 2002-03

   Sect: 4(1)   Sect: 4(2)   Sect: 5(1)(a)   Sect: 5(1)(b)   Sect: 6(1)   Sect: 6(2)   Sect: 7(6)   Total Aberdeen   50   11   506   43   51   6   68   735 Airdrie   34   4   252   27   35   8   55   415 Alloa   7 65   8   8 11   99 Arbroath   9   1   103   6   3   3   18   143 Ayr   25   6   235   13   27   3   44   353 Banff   8   2   50   3   6 8   77 Campbeltown   21   2   2   25 Cupar   13   2   129   3   9   1   14   171 Dingwall   4 63   2   13   1   10   93 Dornoch   26   2   3   31 Dumbarton   36   7   221   13   28   4   49   358 Dumfries   17   1   126   7   13   3   23   190 Dundee   70   8   279   27   34   2   51   471 Dunfermline   41   2   212   13   28 35   331 Dunoon   3 59   3   13   1   11   90 Duns   6 35   2   2 1   46 Edinburgh   67   8   790   44   109   12   110   1,140 Elgin   23 164   15   12   2   14   230 Falkirk   23   3   216   22   37   2   47   350 Forfar   6   2   72   3   4 5   92 Fort William   3 59   2   8   1   10   83 Glasgow   283   40   1,142   96   173   21   313   2,061 Greenock   37   5   85   10   16   3   26   182 Haddington   5 110   9   15   1   22   162 Hamilton   30   4   408   49   71   5   103   670 Jedburgh   20   2   273   19   38   6   59   417 Kilmarnock   38   4   286   11   25   8   46   418 Kirkcaldy   34   1   265   14   20   1   35   370 Kirkcudbright 2   29   1   5 4   41 Kirkwall   1 33   4   1 4   43 Lanark   14   3   88   8   13   1   7   134 Lerwick   1 59   2   6 5   71 Linlithgow   27   8   267   13   36   4   49   404 Lochmaddy   27   2   1   30 Oban   6 40   4   1   2   11   64 Paisley   57   4   309   18   29   6   57   480 Peebles   20   4   2   26 Perth   22   4   245   14   26   5   41   357 Peterhead   6 79   5   6   4   13   111 Portree   23 3   1   2   29 Rothesay   3   1   12 2 4   22 Selkirk   1 62   6   7   1   7   84 Stirling   22   1   218   7   29   1   28   306 Stonehaven   4   1   85   4   9 8   111 Stornoway   35   4   7 9   55 Stranraer   3   3   47   8   8   2   9   80 Tain   2 46   1   9 7   65 Wick   9 59   1   8   1   8   86 Total   1,070   140   8,035   574   1,009   122   1,463   12,413

Multiple Sclerosis

Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to determine whether there is any link between the 1-in-60 level of cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Leswalt and Kirkcolm, Wigtownshire, and levels of tributyltin identified by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in Loch Ryan.

Allan Wilson: There is currently no evidence of any link between the identified cases of MS in Leswalt and Kirkcolm with tributyltin (TBT) levels in Loch Ryan.

  Despite a great deal of research worldwide it has not been possible to identify the cause of MS. There is, however, some evidence that there may be a genetic factor that may particularly affect persons of Celtic and Scandinavian descent.

NHS Services

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHS is contracting services from private organisations to provide medical services on its behalf and, if so, which services.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-957 on 15 July 2003. The information requested is not held centrally. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Procurement

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, or any of its agencies or non-departmental public bodies have used the construction management method of procurement and, if so, what the client, project and (a) expected and (b) actual timescales for, and costs of, delivery were in each case.

Tavish Scott: The construction management procurement route is suited to large, complex projects where aspects of the briefing and design are incomplete at the commencement of site works. No projects of this nature, using this procurement route, have been completed in recent years by the Executive or its agencies and associated departments.

  Information in respect of projects completed by non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.

Public Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much, and what percentage, of the transport budget will be spent on public transport in each year from 2003-04 to 2007-08, broken down by sector.

Nicol Stephen: Over the next three years the Scottish Executive spending on public transport as a proportion of the total transport budget (excluding capital charges) is budgeted to be: 2003-04 - 64.2%; 2004-05 - 66.4%, and 2005-06 - 69.2%. The budgets for 2006-07 and 2007-08 will be set in the next spending review, which will begin in the autumn of 2003.

  The information sought on transport budgets is available in the transport chapter of Building a Better Scotland, which can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/babs-11.asp.

Public Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether more (a) bus and (b) rail services will be introduced during this session of the Parliament and whether it has set any targets in each case.

Nicol Stephen: The provision of bus and rail services is a matter for individual bus and rail operators and local transport authorities. The Executive provides substantial financial support to the bus industry to support the provision of services and is supporting the development of several infrastructure projects and enhancement schemes which will facilitate new passenger railway services. As outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland , the Executive is committed to piloting better value bus services through a route development scheme to promote particular under-used routes. In addition, the Executive will be looking to bidders to come forward with innovative proposals for new services during the franchise re-letting process for the Scottish passenger railway.

Public Transport

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-592 by Nicol Stephen on 19 June 2003, what the purpose is of the Thistle Travel Card Scheme; what the scheme’s eligibility criteria are; when the scheme was established; how many people are participating in the scheme; where they are from, and in which areas it operates.

Nicol Stephen: The Thistle Card Scheme was set up by ENABLE and was launched in September 2002. The aim of the scheme was to support people with a learning difficulty or other mental health problem to enjoy the freedom of independent travel by providing an easily recognisable card to assist communication between transport staff and the passenger. There are no eligibility criteria for the Thistle Card, it is a self-selection process for those who might have trouble with dealing with money, require help with their destination or need time to sit down.

  The scheme is run by ENABLE on a national basis and latest figures show that they are dealing with around five to 10 enquiries a week. One hundred and ninety-five thousand cards have been sent out across Scotland and 8,000 staff guidelines have been sent to 43 transport companies.

Rail Network

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the preservation of the formation of dismantled railway lines with a view to their re-use at a future date.

Nicol Stephen: In 1999, the Scottish Office published its National Planning Policy Guideline  ( NPPG17 ). Within this document is advice to local authorities on the preservation of disused transport routes, which include dismantled railways. Copies of this document (Bib. number 1107) are held in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Road Accidents

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents have occurred at, or near, the Keir Roundabout, Dunblane, in each of the last five years.

Nicol Stephen: The number of injury accidents that have occurred at or near the Keir Roundabout, Dunblane in each of the last five years is as follows:

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Slight 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

1 
  

3 
  

4 
  



1999 
  

1 
  

1 
  

6 
  

8 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  

6 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

1 
  

4 
  

5 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

1 
  

7 
  

8 
  



Total 
  

1 
  

7 
  

23 
  

31

Road Accidents

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on what stretches of road in the Mid Scotland and Fife constituency fatal and serious road accidents have been recorded in each of the last five years.

Nicol Stephen: Fatal and serious road accidents have been recorded on the A82, A84, A85, A9, A90, A92, A876, A977, A985, M9, M80 and M90 trunk roads within Mid Scotland and Fife in each of the last five years. Accident figures for local authority roads are not held centrally. The trunk road accident figures are as follows:

  A82 Inverarnan to North of Tyndrum

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

5 
  

5 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



2002 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  



Total 
  

1 
  

13 
  

14 
  



  A84 Stirling to Lochearnhead

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

6 
  

18 
  

24 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

7 
  

7 
  



2000 
  

1 
  

8 
  

9 
  



2001 
  

2 
  

8 
  

10 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

8 
  

8 
  



Total 
  

9 
  

49 
  

58 
  



  A85 Perth to Crianlarich

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

1 
  

20 
  

21 
  



1999 
  

3 
  

11 
  

14 
  



2000 
  

3 
  

25 
  

28 
  



2001 
  

1 
  

19 
  

20 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

12 
  

12 
  



Total 
  

8 
  

87 
  

95 
  



  A85 Tyndrum to Regional Boundary

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



  A9 Dunblane to Drumochter Pass

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

4 
  

29 
  

33 
  



1999 
  

4 
  

21 
  

25 
  



2000 
  

7 
  

24 
  

31 
  



2001 
  

9 
  

15 
  

24 
  



2002 
  

4 
  

11 
  

15 
  



Total 
  

28 
  

100 
  

128 
  



  A90 Perth to Inchture

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

1 
  

6 
  

7 
  



1999 
  

1 
  

6 
  

7 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



2001 
  

2 
  

4 
  

6 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

4 
  

19 
  

23 
  



  A90 Petterden to Little Keithock

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

1 
  

8 
  

9 
  



1999 
  

1 
  

6 
  

7 
  



2000 
  

1 
  

6 
  

7 
  



2001 
  

2 
  

6 
  

8 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

5 
  

5 
  



Total 
  

5 
  

31 
  

36 
  



  A92 Crossgates to Newport on Tay

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

4 
  

11 
  

15 
  



1999 
  

1 
  

8 
  

9 
  



2000 
  

2 
  

18 
  

20 
  



2001 
  

3 
  

17 
  

20 
  



2002 
  

2 
  

18 
  

20 
  



Total 
  

12 
  

72 
  

84 
  



  A876 Kincardine to Regional Boundary

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2002 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Total 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  



  A977 Kincardine to Kilbagie

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



  A985 Kincardine to Rosyth

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

1 
  

3 
  

4 
  



1999 
  

1 
  

3 
  

4 
  



2000 
  

2 
  

6 
  

8 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Total 
  

4 
  

17 
  

21 
  



  M9 South of Plean to Dunblane

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



1999 
  

2 
  

4 
  

6 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Total 
  

2 
  

10 
  

12 
  



  M80 North of Dunipace to Bannockburn

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2002 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



  M90 Inverkeithing to Perth

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

7 
  

7 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

9 
  

9 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

7 
  

7 
  



2001 
  

2 
  

10 
  

12 
  



2002 
  

3 
  

9 
  

12 
  



Total 
  

5 
  

42 
  

47

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital costs will be of each infrastructure project referred to in the transport section of A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Nicol Stephen: The capital costs of projects will depend on the prices achieved through tendering and these will be affected by both the market at the time and the type of contract awarded. For a number of the projects proposed in A Partnership for a Better Scotland it may be some time before tendering exercises begin.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the road maintenance budget has been in each year since 1998-99 and what the budget will be in each of the next 10 years.

Nicol Stephen: The road maintenance budget since 1998-99 is as follows:

  


 


1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  

2003-04 
  

2004-05 
  

2005-06 
  



Outturn 
  

Outturn 
  

Outturn 
  

Outturn 
  

Provisional
Outturn 
  

Plans 
  

Plans 
  

Plans 
  



Total (£ million) 
  

98.15 
  

107.55 
  

116.42 
  

104.25 
  

125.15 
  

96.53 
  

96.53 
  

96.53 
  



  Figures prior to 1 April 2002 include an element of VAT (typically between £10 million and £15 million per year), which the Scottish Executive (SE) was able to recover. From 1 April 2002 onward, the SE adopted a net accounting policy whereby VAT is deducted at source, consequently figures after the 1 April 2002 do not include a sum in respect of VAT. The budgets for years 2006-07 onwards will be set in the appropriate spending reviews.

Waste Water

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why retrospective consent to discharge is required from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for existing discharges of sewage effluent from domestic properties into controlled waters rather than new discharges.

Allan Wilson: Discharge of sewage effluent to the water environment requires consent under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. It is an offence not to hold a consent for such a discharge. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency will take action to require dischargers to comply with their legal obligations, even if the discharge in question has been taking place for some time.

Waste Water

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) retrospective and (b) new consents to discharge sewage effluent into controlled waters have been awarded by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in each year since 1999 and how much income the agency has derived from such consents.

Allan Wilson: The number of applications for discharge consent made to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in the years in question, and associated income, are shown in the table. Figures for new discharges and retrospective consents are not collected separately.

  


Year 
  

No. of Applications 
  

Income (£) 
  



1998-99 
  

1,526 
  

458,265 
  



1999-2000 
  

1,361 
  

363,382 
  



2000-01 
  

1,407 
  

446,106 
  



2001-02 
  

1,203 
  

315,351

Waste Water

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to assist those on low incomes who find it difficult to pay the charge for applying for retrospective consent to discharge sewage effluent into controlled waters.

Allan Wilson: The current cost of an application for small discharges, such as those related to individual households, is £82. For discharges not subject to monitoring requirements, this is a one-off fee, which is intended to cover costs incurred by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in issuing the consent. The Executive has no plans to provide financial assistance to those applying for such consents.

Waste Water

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to address concerns of residents in rural communities in respect of the requirement to apply for retrospective consent to discharge sewage effluent into controlled waters.

Allan Wilson: Discharge of sewage effluent to the water environment requires consent under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. I support the need for any such discharges that do not have consent to be brought into line with legal requirements.

Waste Water

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether allowing leachate from Lochar Moss waste disposal site, Dumfries, to be piped directly into the public sewerage system for treatment, as proposed by Dumfries and Galloway Council, is the best practicable environmental option, as defined in paragraph 36 of National Planning Policy Guideline: NPPG 10 - Planning and Waste Management .

Allan Wilson: The Assessing the Best Practicable Environmental Option for waste from the Dumfries area is developed in The Area Waste Plan for Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, which is available at http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/guidance/awp.htm.

  This is a high-level document which discusses strategic waste solutions.

  Lochar Moss itself is currently regulated through the waste management licensing system, which applies the concept of "best available technique". The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is of the view that piping leachate to a sewage treatment works for treatment is a more environmentally friendly technique than tankering to a different site with a smaller capacity, which is the solution currently adopted. Scottish Water will apply trade effluent conditions to ensure the sewage treatment works can safely handle the leachate and meet the conditions the agency applies to effluent from the works.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer on what date, and in what journal or journals, the tender for the contract for wall cladding and windows for the MSP block was advertised.

Mr George Reid: A Works Directive Periodic Indicative Notice, which advertised external cladding and windows packages for the new Parliament building, was published in the Official Journal of the European Community (OJEC) in February 1999.